poetry found so many votaries among the Dalmatians, it
is a remarkable fact, that all their historians wrote in Latin or
Italian. They possess indeed a very old chronicle, of the date of A.D.
1161, written in the Slavic language by an anonymous Presbyter of
Dioclea, and translated by himself into Latin; but in the more
flourishing period of the Dalmatian literature, the love of their own
language was overcome by the stronger desire of a more universal
reputation than any works written in Slavic could procure for them.
The names of N. Ragnini, Francisco Gondola, Razzi, and Caboga, must
here be mentioned. The dialect of the country, however, found some
advocates even among the clergy. For some theological works it was
preferred to the Old Slavic; or at least the Latin letters were chosen
for this language instead of the Glagolitic types. An Old Slavic
translation of the Gospels and Epistles by Bernardin de Spalatro was
printed with Latin letters, Venice 1495. At the same place appeared,
in 1613, Bandulovich's translation of the same holy books in the
common language. A Jesuit, Barth. Cassio, A.D. 1640, had translated
both the Old and New Testaments; but the printing of it was prevented
by the bishops. Anton Cacich wrote a work on moral theology, in the
common dialect of the country: and several ecclesiastics of high
standing published works for religious instruction in the same
language. The period following the catastrophe of Ragusa was fertile
in theological, or rather religious, productions. The works of the
archidiaconus Albertus, as also of Gucetich and others, contain
treatises for spiritual edification, devotional exercises, etc.
Biankovitch, bishop of Makarska, wrote a treatise of Christian
doctrine, Venice 1708, in the common Dalmatian dialect. But this
dialect found its most ardent champion in a priest, Stephan Rosa, who
exerted himself greatly to have the old church Slavonic entirely
superseded by the Dalmatian-Servian language. He made a complete
translation of the whole Bible, and sent it to the pope, requesting
that it might be printed and introduced under his high authority
instead of the Cyrillic Bible. At the same time, he proposed that the
mass should be read in the Dalmatian dialect; dwelling especially on
the circumstance, that the Cyrillic language was an ingredient of the
Greek church, and consequently the use of it in sacred things a
species of Greek heresy. The pope appointed a committee to examine